Gallagher proving again that size isn’t everything

If you think Canadiens rookie Brendan Gallagher is small now, you should have seen him in bantam hockey.

Gallagher was only 5-foot-3 in 2007 when the Vancouver Giants selected him in the ninth round of the Western Hockey League draft. His father, Ian, told The Gazette’s Brenda Branswell he was probably the smallest player in the draft.

Gallagher is now all grown up – at 5-foot-9 and 178 pounds – and the 20-year-old has delighted Habs fans with his tenacious style of play and drive to the net after being a fifth-round pick in the 2010 NHL entry draft. In 19 games, Gallagher has 6-7-13 totals and is tied with Brandon Prust for the team lead in plus/minus at plus-10.

“The thing with Brendan, he’s played the same way at every level,” Don Hay, coach of the Vancouver Giants, the major-junior team that Gallagher played with for four years, told The Gazette’s Branswell.

“When he was a peewee, he played the same way and then people would say: ‘Well, he can’t do that in bantam,’ and then ‘he won’t be able to do that in midget,’ and then ‘I don’t think he can do that in juniors and then ‘can he do it in the NHL?’

“He’s just proved people wrong all the time.”

Gallagher and the Canadiens are back in action Thursday night when they visit the Carolina Hurricanes (7 p.m., RDS, TSN-HABS, TSN 690 Radio). Canadiens coach Michel Therrien skipped Thursday’s morning skate due to an intestine infection, but is expected to be behind the bench for the game.

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Not enjoying HIO in recent days. Matthew Shepard is a person some of you may want to look up on Wikipedia. In Uganda, you can be executed for being homosexual. Their cabinet minister, educated in the States, gave an interview to Harper’s magazine. He is David Bahati. He also brought in legislation that one can be imprisoned up to 7 years for not reporting someone else’s homosexuality to the state. Why don’t we discuss whether a restaurant co-owned by Martin F. Brodeur and Sheldon Souray named La Pizzeria Etc. has violated language laws. Etc. is Latin, is it not?

Just to clarify, Bell isn’t being prevented from buying TSN. They already own it. But they also want to purchase more english language radio stations than is allowed in one market. This is why the purchase didn’t go through the first time around.

The simple fact is, TSN doesn’t make money. So when it comes time for Bell to decide who to keep and who to let go, to comply with CRTC monopoly regulations, TSN is the likely sacrificial lamb. Which has Mitch and Tony and the gang all pleading (in what I consider a very inappropriate use of publicly controlled airwaves) for public support.

But IF Bell had ever operated TSN 690 as a real radio station, and hired real talent instead of a bunch of minimum-wage kids (not including Mitch, Ted, John and a few others), it may well have been a successful operation, and Bell would be willing to divest themselves of other assets to make this move.

So, if you are looking for villains here, look at Bell. They are salivating over the chance to start up an RDS Radio, french-language, all-sports station.

Has there ever been a hit SO far over the line that EVERYBODY agreed it was dirty? I can’t think of one. Plenty of Bertuzzi defenders out there. I’ve even heard people defend McSorley’s stick job on Brashear.

I see why. The photographer couldn’t have posed the streaker behind the stanchion any more perfectly. I recalled Full Monty fell and concussed himself on ice, so there should be a rule requiring a helmut, and a visor too.

@Mattyleg …putting words into people’s mouths is vicious when it is not based on facts …when it causes embarrassment and social disdain, not of your making, but the slander of others

…until a person him/herself enunciate ‘the facts’, especially on such a personal level, it is viciously unfair and sickening on yours or any others behalf to perpetuate falsehoods

…I know if i was Josh Gorges I would not be laughing about this …I would be very angry, and even disappointed a certain segment of My Fan-base would even be discussing the subject

…I am not going to get into a prolonged theatre of tossing trash with You Matty, but notwithstanding Your opinions of the new age order of sexuality, the majority of humans, male and female, want their sexuality not a subject of public headlines

…The vast majority of men take exception of being described as a homosexual …it is extremely unfair and VICIOUS to describe anyone’s sexuality without their permission or first hearing it from him or her

…do I believe homosexuality is ‘wrong’ ? …am I homophobic ?

…that is a complex question that a simple yes or no can not do justice

…do I feel comfortable with homosexuality ? …no I don’t …do I feel it is unnatural ? …I definitely do

…do I prefer homosexuality did not exist …yes, just like I prefer everyone/humanity be honest, intelligent and non-violent

…but people and Life is what it is

…I am a Fan of this particular Player of Our Team …I admire His heart and dedication to Our Team

…would I be consistent as a Fan of He if He ‘came out’ …I definitely would because I respect Him as a Player and a man

…but until He ‘comes out’, He should not be viciously described as something He is not

…unless You have photos You Yourself have taken while visiting Your neighborhoods Turkish Sauna, then just keep Your personally invasive trap shut

…bottom-line, this subject being part of the conversation in HIO has upset Me like no other subject before

…I think this subject is unfairly falsely personally demeaning a Player on Our Team in HIO and it should not be tolerated

…I can’t express how deeply disappointed I am of the few here responsible for introducing this subject

I am amazed that you, or anyone in this day and age, is ok with publicly proclaiming their ignorance to the extent you just have.

But I do understand your point of view, as you are from an older generation where this type of thinking is acceptable.

Bottom line though, it no longer is. And you should recognize that, at least to the extent of keeping such views to yourself. Don’t be surprised when others want to crucify you for expressing your ignorant views.

he attacked an entire group of people because of who they are, that’s worse. To answer Steve C below, sexual orientation is an integral part of who you are. It can rarely if ever be changed, even by those who are highly motivated to do so. Therefore, the only way to eradicate homosexuality is to eradicate homosexuals, just as the only way to eliminate Jews or blacks is to eradicate them. Any of that sound familar? So when someone says they would rather that a part of humanity not exist, and then they say THEY are deeply offended by what is going on here, I do cry foul, and smell a hypocrite